How To Become A Spy

Epilogue

4 MONTHS LATER

"I now present to you, this year's graduating class of Maryville High!"

Loud cheers broke out throughout the crowd and the sea of senior students that stood on stage. I felt one of Kevin's arms wrap around me and turned to see him wrapping his other around Debby. The cheering continued as I looked out onto the crowd of people, noticing my own mother clapping amid them, her face covered with a huge smile and what looked like teary eyes from where I was standing.

I heard one student yell towards another, "We did it!"

And we did do it. We all somehow managed to make it through all those years of schooling, to be standing on a stage, being applauded. I couldn't understand how I managed to do it myself, but I knew it had to do with a lot of hard work. It had been hard to catch up on the few weeks of work I'd missed due to attending Kennedy High but I'd done it. Sure, it was hard to explain to my teacher's that I was 'miraculously cured' from my 'disease-like sickness' and I could return to school and catch up in my own time but luckily, I had friends like Debby and Kevin (mostly Debby) to tutor me in certain subjects.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, my mother was there to greet me, holding out her arms to give me a hug.

I smiled at her, accepting the hug. Her emerald green dress was shimmering in the sunlight, making her gleam even more.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered.

I could feel my stomach tighten slightly at her words but thanked her regardless. I couldn't think of a reason why she would be proud of me.

After she released me, I looked over to Michael standing next to her. Surprisingly, their relationship had been going strong and I had grown to like him a lot. He came around to our house for dinner frequently or would sometimes even take us out with him. At first, I was confused why he would invite me along but I realized he was truly making an effort to get to know me for the sake of my Mom, and for that I respected him. He wasn't that bad of a person as well.

"Congrats tiger," he grinned.

I laughed, "Thank you."

Tiger had been his nickname for me ever since the first night we met outside of the school when I had all those scratches on me. He'd said they looked like stripes but also said he called me tiger because I was fierce. The scratches on me from that night had disappeared completely with the only evidence from that night shown in the faint scars on my thighs from where I'd been stabbed.

"Are the two of you still coming around for dinner tonight?" my mother asked my friends.

Debby looked away from Kevin who she'd been joking around with the past minute. "Oh, yes. We look forward to it," she exclaimed as she evened out Kevin's gown.

"So do we," Michael put his arm around my Mom. "I was hoping to try out a new recipe tonight."

My Mom shrugged, "I'm fine with that. I'm just glad that I have someone else around to do the cooking."

I scoffed. "Mom, you barely did the cooking before anyway."

Michael laughed as my Mom opened her mouth to argue in her defense.

"Hey, I did my job. You're alive right now, aren't you? Regardless of whether I cooked or not, you still got fed! And here we are, at your graduation." She began to tear up again.

"Mom," I groaned.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Michael winked. "Come on honey lets go say hello to some of Becca's teachers," he suggested as he steered her off, leaving me thankful. I always got awkward when things got mushy and sad. I could hardly take it.